SUMMARYOFTHEOVERALLCOMPONENT Althoughnon?communicablediseases(NCD)representover80%ofthediseaseburdenin SouthAmerica,mosthealthresourcesintheregionarestilldedicatedtoinfectiousdiseaseand maternalandchildhealth.Astheregioncompletesitsepidemiological,demographicand nutritionaltransition,thereisanurgentneedtoimprovestrategiestoreducetheincreasing burdenofNCD.ThisapplicationdescribesthedesignanddevelopmentoftheSouthAmerican CenterofResearchExcellenceinChronicNon?communicablediseases(SACREN)toestablish researchactivitiesrelatedtocancerandcardiovasculardiseases(CVD)preventionandcontrol. TheCenterwillbehostedbytwoformerNationalHeart,LungBloodInstitute(NIH/NHLBI) CentersofExcellence(COE):TheSouthAmericanCenterofExcellenceforChronicdiseases (CESCAS)attheInstituteforClinicalEffectivenessandHealthPolicy(IECS)inBuenosAires, ArgentinawhichcoverstheSouthernConeofLatinAmerica(Argentina,ChileandUruguay) andtheCRONICASCenterofExcellenceinChronicDiseasesattheUniversidadPeruana CayetanoHeredia(UPCH),inPeru,boththrivingresearchandprovidingarichenvironmentfor researchcapacitybuildingintheregion.Infact,bothteams,whicharecurrentlysupportedby NIHandotherinternationalandnationalfunders,havearemarkabletrackrecordofsuccessful researchintermsofpublicationsandgrants.Moreimportantly,takenthistothenextlevelto establishSACREN,bothCESCASandCRONICASwillpartnerwiththeDivisionofPopulation SciencesatDana?FarberCancerInstitute,(DFCI)andHarvardMedicalSchool(HMS),where bothwillcontributetheirworld?classexpertiseandleadershipinbuildingcapacityforcancer researchthatspansthespectrumfrompreventiontotreatment.SACRENwilltakingadvantage ofthecapacitybuildingexperienceofthethreepartnersandestablishsharedresourcesand facilitiestoallowenhancinginnovativepopulation,translational(T4),clinical,implementation andpolicyresearchtocountercancerandCVD.Forthisplanninggrant,SACRENwilldevelop tworesearchprogramsincancerandCVDepidemiology,buildingontheintegrationofthe population?basedcohortsinArgentina,Chile,PeruandUruguay.Inaddition,itwillundertakea pilotcollaborativeprojectongeo?mappingofGBCandGCinSouthAmerica,basedonGIS technology.SACRENwilldevelopitsinitialactivitiesinArgentina,Chile,PeruandUruguay,and willlaterexpandtoBoliviaandParaguay.Inthisregard,ourproposalhasbeenendorsedby thecurrentMinistersofHealthofArgentinaandPeruandtheauthoritiesofthenational cancerinstitutesand/ortheMinistriesofHealthofallcountriesinvolved